Vacation California - The "First Time" Trip

We rented a car in LA and were delighted by not only getting a convertible, as requested, but one with only 5 miles on the odometer! The 'bright' color - described to us as Crayola Blue - only seemed fitting. We were then off to head north on the Pacific Coast Highway (the "PCH" among locals).



Not too far up the coast is the famous party house of WR Hearst, commonly known as Hearst Castle (although the 'real' Hearst Castle is in Europe) . It was quiet the imposing force you would expect from a man with money and a fancy for European architecture - though perhaps not a unified vision for what he was building.

Hearst on the hill in the CA haze

A Intimate Dinning Room

The Coast from the Castle

NC feet at home on CA

After several hours of schlepping around the grounds, we headed up the PCH and made a stop to view the Elephant Seals molting along the beach. We were told by some onsite park ranger types, that they hang out here for about 30 days, basking in the sun and washing in the surf to encourage their coats to shed.



Next up... Carmel by the Sea!

Frampton - What Are You Doing Friday Night?


Friends,

This Friday – August 10th, Peter Frampton comes to The WHITE OAK AMPHITHEATRE with what is being described on the internet as  “a show not to miss, Frampton is at his all-time best” .

The Gate City Rotary FREE Pre-Party in the Coliseum Pavilion starts at 4:00pm and runs until 7pm with Lawyers Guns & Money headlining the Stage and also includes Ranford Almond!

GIBSON GUITARS will be here from Nashville with their Custom Guitar Traveling Exhibit where you can demo some priceless one-of-a-kind guitars including a replica of Frampton’s famous lost guitar. (have you heard this unbelievable story?     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEKFjaGWbkY

Natty Greene’s Micro Beers and food will be available for purchase and there will be a raffle for a DREAM VACATION.  (Let me know if you would like a chance - $20 helps us raise money for our charities!)

This is the Event of the Summer and we hope you can join us!  Frampton tickets start at $25.00 so bring the whole family to see one of the greatest Rock Guitarist of all time tear up the stage in Greensboro!
 TIX :    http://www.greensborocoliseum.com/event/2012/aug/peter-frampton


Please share this to your friends & neighbors.  We want to fill up the amphitheater!

See you there!

UPDATE:


Peter Frampton Concert Moving to War Memorial Auditorium

GREENSBORO, NC (August 9, 2012) - Due to the threat of severe weather and in the interest of patron safety, the August 10th Peter Frampton concert originally scheduled for White Oak Amphitheatre has been moved to War Memorial Auditorium.
Reserved seat ticketholders may exchange their tickets for an orchestra level seat upon arrival at War Memorial Auditorium. General admission (lawn) ticketholders may proceed directly to the Auditorium balcony upon arrival for general admission seating.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets at participating Wal-Mart locations, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 and the Greensboro Coliseum box office.
Grammy winner Peter Frampton remains one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. At 16, he was the lead singer and guitarist for British band the Herd. At 18, he co-founded one of the first super groups, seminal rock act Humble Pie. His session work includes such legendary artists as George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, John Entwistle and many others. His fifth solo album, the electrifying Frampton Comes Alive!, is one of the top-selling live records of all time.
  

EVENT:                            An Evening with Peter Frampton
DATE:                              Friday, August 10
TIME:                               8:00 p.m.
VENUE:                                      War Memorial Auditorium (NOTE NEW VENUE)
TICKET PRICES:            $25 and up



James Kavanaugh - Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves


THERE ARE MEN TOO GENTLE TO LIVE AMONG WOLVES
A Poem by James Kavanaugh

There are men too gentle to live among wolves
Who prey upon them with IBM eyes
And sell their hearts and guts for martinis at noon.
There are men too gentle for a savage world
Who dream instead of snow and children and Halloween
And wonder if the leaves will change their color soon.

There are men too gentle to live among wolves
Who anoint them for burial with greedy claws
And murder then for a merchant's profit and gain.
There are men too gentle for a corporate world
Who dream instead of candied apples and ferris wheels
And pause to hear the distant whistle of a train.

There are men too gentle to live among wolves.
Who devour them with eager appetite and search
For other men to prey upon and suck their childhood dry.
There are men too gentle for an accountant's world
Who dream instead of Easter eggs and fragrant grass
And search for beauty in the mystery of the sky.

There are men too gentle to live among wolves
Who toss them like a lost and wounded dove.
Such gentle men are lonely in a merchant's world.
Unless they have a gentle one to love.


Vacation California - The "First Times" Trip

If you know someone who knows the way, you can find a deserted, private beach in Malibu, CA. If you are fortunate, you will enjoy not only warming sunshine and hypnotic seas, but visits from seals and dolphins.

Led by my daughter, we drove to a popular beach in Malibu and found the crowds, complete with a crew preparing to film a ESPN Football Summer promo.

NFL on ESPN does Malibu


We also found a very high rock wall, adorned with rock climbers, that terminated the beach on it's South end.




Then, we were led to a hidden path that took us over the rocks and to what would be our private beach for the afternoon.

Enjoy the video below. Drop back next week for another "California First Times Trip" post.



Work Contest - I Must Rule

So, today a contest was announced at work and the challenge is to get as many new followers to follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook and Connect with us on LinkedIn. By using special URLs they can track who sends people to the pages.

Here's what I need you to do (PLEASE). Click on each of the links below. Like, Follow or Connect as the destination page allows. That's it.

AND - If you leave me a comment with your Social links, I promise to return the favor. Deal?

Pretty please with sugar on top...

Click NOW!
LinkedIn: http://bem.bz/SQmSxv
Twitter: http://bem.bz/MSmhqK


Besides...we get PIZZA!

Vacation California - the "First Times" TRIP!

I promise not to dump hundreds of photos (although I DO have them) and countless meanderings upon you from my recent trip to California. I will however share a post each week for some time on my 'first time' experiences and a few stories.

First up... my first time - hike up to the famous Hollywood sign. Originally, the sign read Hollywood Land and was intended to promote the availability of land as a new and somewhat risky real-estate opportunity.

I found it much smaller than I imagined and after several balancing tricks, we moved on to other adventures.


See Peter Frampton in Greensboro - Help A Charity

Here's what you need to know. You can help kids by attending a Peter Frampton concert in Greensboro, NC on August 10. The link below has all the details. I'm going. Care to join me? The pre-party will be lots of fun, too.

http://www.gatecityrotary.com/partywithapurpose.asp


JustSaying

Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane. - Philip K. Dick

TO DO List

I have no idea where this originated, but I had to share it.


Garden City Surf Shop - An Icon

Garden City Surf Shop


Garden City Surf Shop Entrance

This place has been there as long as I can remember...and that makes it OLD! I uploaded the photos in full resolution, so click on them and enjoy the details of the paintings!